Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty for Hacking Telecommunications Companies

A former Army soldier has admitted to orchestrating a sophisticated cyber attack scheme targeting telecommunications companies, using advanced hacking tools and darknet forums to steal sensitive data and extort victims for substantial ransoms. Cameron John Wagenius, 21, who operated under the alias “kiberphant0m,” pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges related to a conspiracy that attempted to extract at least $1 million from victim organizations between April 2023 and December 2024. SSH Brute Force Attacks Wagenius and his co-conspirators employed sophisticated technical methods to breach telecommunications networks, primarily utilizing a custom hacking tool called SSH Brute to obtain unauthorized login credentials. The SSH (Secure Shell) brute force attack tool systematically attempted multiple password combinations to gain access to protected computer networks. The cybercriminals coordinated their operations through encryptedTelegram groupchats, where they exchanged stolen crede...